Horsham 5 v Chichester City United 2
Tuesday 24th April 2007
Brighton Charity Cup Final

reporter: Mark Wells

Horsham's sixth cup final appearance in six seasons ended in triumph after an ultimately comfortable, if rather flattering, win against cup holders Chichester City United in front of a sparse Queen Street crowd. Kevin Cooper, Lewis Taylor (2), Matt Geard and John Westcott grabbed the goals that cheered the diehard fans who chose to spend the evening in the company of French, Mingle and Myall rather than Ronaldo, Rooney and Kaka - the Champions League tie at Old Trafford undoubtedly to blame for a low attendance on what was a mild Spring evening. Yet few would have anticipated the goalfest after a turgid opening hour in which a glaring miss by experienced goal poacher Kevin Cooper was the major talking point of the game. An uninspiring start by the home side gave the County Leaguers the confidence to take the game to their higher ranked opponents and they looked favourites to claim the trophy for the third season running after taking a 2-1 lead with just three minutes of normal time remaining. However, a late penalty award by referee Gary Croft enabled Lewis Taylor to equalise and, with Paul Jones dismissed in the fracas that followed the incident, the Hornets took full advantage of the numerical imbalance to run in three goals during extra-time.

John Maggs' desire to end the season with some silverware led the Horsham supremo to field his strongest possible side but he was forced to do without the services of leading scorer Carl Rook, who was nursing a dead leg, so Cooper was chosen to partner teenage striker Dean Wright in attack with Nigel Brake and Stuart Myall included in the starting eleven, replacing Matt Geard and Andy Howard who dropped down to the bench.

Horsham began the game positively and Westcott might have given his side an early lead when he collected Ben Buckland's underhit pass to cut inside and shoot left-footed but goalkeeper Anthony Ender was well placed to make a comfortable save. Scott Murfin replied in Chichester's first attack when he ended a spot of ball juggling in midfield before volleying straight at Alan Mansfield and Westcott was again denied on thirteen minutes when Brake's superbly hit cross found the former Brighton man stealing in unmarked to fire a volley straight at Ender who knew little about the save as it cannoned away to safety off his chest. IHowever, it was the visitors who looked the more composed of the two sides in the opening exchanges and Jones headed Russell Hardwell's free-kick over the crossbar before a mistake by Taylor gave Scott Murfin a shooting chance, the effort spinning away for a goal-kick through skipper Eddie French's legs. Wright was unable to apply the finishing touch, after skipping to the goal-line, but his perfectly weighted through ball to Cooper on twenty-four minutes had supporters anticipating the game's opening goal when the former AFC Wimbledon marksman waltzed assuredly round the advancing 'keeper before taking the ball to within a few feet of the unguarded net only to clip his shot wide of the far post to scenes of disbelief and mirth from the terraces prompting one supporter to shout "I know this is for charity but that's ridiculous !!". Undeterred, the Hornets continued to forage for an opening and Wright's header was gathered at the second attempt by Ender before a raking forty yard pass by Myall picked out Westcott on the right touchline but he scuffed his shot and the chance was gone. Mansfield had to advance quickly from his goal to head clear, after Jason Clements was played in behind the Horsham defence, and he produced a fine double save, just before the break, when Steve Boston's lobbed pass sent Michael Turvey clear only to be denied by the sprawling goalkeeper who recovered rapidly to punch clear after his block had sent the ball spiralling into the air.

The second half began with Matt Geard replacing Wright with Tom Graves moving up front to allow the substitute to slot in to the left-back position but an error by Kevin Hemsley let in Scott Murfin who should have done better than to blaze his shot over the top, after being teed up by Boston, before Westcott's probing pass saw Ender win the race to the bouncing ball, heading it away from Brake who collected it close to the touchline and returned it into the danger zone where Cooper swivelled and hit his shot narrowly wide of the upright. Westcott was in the thick of the action again on the hour mark when he fired in a testing free-kick that narrowly missed the incoming Myall before being cleared. The Hornets were finally beginning to impose themselves on the game but they were indebted to Mingle for making a crucial challenge on the halfway line when exposed as the sole defender in the face of a four man attack. The visitors did break through, twenty minutes in, when a slip by Hemsley let in Scott Murfin but the forward took too long over his shot allowing French to step in with a tidy interception. That man Westcott was next to test the goalkeeper when he traded passes with Cooper and let fly with his left boot but Ender got down well to save. Maggs decided to withdraw Brake with little more than twenty minutes remaining, no doubt with Saturday's league fixture in mind, sending on Howard in his place and the young central defender almost marked his arrival in style, shooting wide from a corner with his first touch. However, the substitute didn't have long to wait before celebrating with his team mates after Cooper atoned for his earlier miss by putting the hosts ahead on seventy-four minutes. A hopeful 'up and under' from Taylor was spilled by Ender, under pressure from Graves, and Cooper swooped to score his fifth goal in Horsham colours. Immediately, both managers reacted by sending on replacements; Shane Graham for Graves and Jake Lafferty for the Lillywhites' Clements. Hemsley gave Ender a comfortable save after a rare foray upfield had taken him to within shooting range of the visitors' goal but he was soon berating the linesman at the other end when Hardwell's free-kick found its way through to Boston in a seemingly offside position and, when the ball was played across goal, Ian Saunders was denied by Mansfield's fine save. Horsham failed to clear the danger convincingly and a foul on Scott Murfin gave the number eleven the opportunity to chance his arm from distance but Mansfield was equal to the effort once more as good positional play enabled him to make a routine catch. With six minutes remaining, and most supporters anticipating a narrow win for the Hornets, Chichester equalised. Boston beat the offside trap and bore down on goal before cutting the ball back in to the path of Lafferty who buried the chance with a first time shot to the delight of the small band of travelling supporters. Worse was to come for the Ryman League side, just three minutes later, when a carbon copy of the goal saw Scott Murfin pounce on Hemsley's blocked clearance and fight his way to the goal line before cutting the ball back to Boston who rammed the ball high into the roof of the net to give the Lillywhites a shock lead. But, with time ticking away, Myall picked out Geard's advanced run and the substitute made in-roads into the Chichester penalty area before being felled by Jones and referee Croft instantly pointed to the spot. In the melee that followed, Jones was shown the red card for apparently striking out at Geard who earned himself the now obligatory caution for his part in the incident as players from both sides ran to get involved. After the dust had settled, Taylor stepped up to slot home the penalty to cap an incredible six minute spell. Five minutes of injury time were added during which Scott Murfin picked up a yellow card for dissent and Chichester wasted three good chances to settle the tie. Lafferty almost capitalised on more hesitant defending in the Hornets back four but could only volley wastefully over the bar and only Hemsley's outstretched boot kept the substitute at bay after some neat control had taken him away from the labouring French to give himself a run on goal. Even then, Lafferty was able to turn and put in a low shot that was turned behind by the diving Mansfield at his near post. Then, with just seconds remaining, a disputed corner saw Saunders head wide from Hardswell's kick.

With the numerical advantage and, one would assume, superior fitness favouring the home side it was expected that they would go on to take control of the extra thirty minutes play but it was the Lillywhites who showed commendable spirit, carving out a chance after just two minutes when Scott Murfin's shot was deflected into Mansfield's arms. Westcott and Howard then combined to create an opening but the latter screwed the ball disappointingly wide and Myall's shot went straight at Ender in the Chichester goal. The County Leaguers made another switch, replacing Scott Murfin's brother Neil with James Smith and Horsham seemed to momentarily switch off as Turvey found himself in acres of space down the left flank, the full-back cutting inside before drilling a fierce shot across the face of goal that narrowly missed the upright and the stretching Boston. Grateful of this reprieve, Horsham promptly took the lead for the second time in the game when Howard joined forces with Westcott on the right to swing in a looping cross that was missed by the defender before falling invitingly at the feet of Taylor who steadied himself before shooting past the exposed goalkeeper.

Unsurprisingly, Horsham wrapped things up in the second period of extra-time but not before Chichester had threatened a further equaliser when Turvey ran at the defence and slipped the ball through to Lafferty whose left-foot volley forced Mansfield to concede a corner with a fine reaction save. A final throw of the dice from Lillywhites' boss Mick Caplin saw the introduction of Ben Crawford for Saunders but the contest was ended when the Hornets scored twice inside ninety seconds. A fine cross from Howard, and a terrific first touch by Geard, saw the former Burgess Hill man exchange passes with Cooper before rifling his shot past Ender's despairing dive and Cooper was again the provider when his instant pass to Westcott allowed the winger to cut in on to this left foot and beat Ender at his near post. Chichester might have reduced the deficit a minute later when Boston scooped the ball over the top from six yards after Turvey had, again, got round the back of the Hornets' defence. There was still time for Cooper to send Westcott scampering clear once again, only for Ender to stand up bravely to parry the shot to safety, before the full-time whistle blew and Horsham's decision to enter the Brighton Charity Cup for the fifth successive season had reaped dividends as the players and supporters were able to celebrate a reward at the end of a memorable season.

Horsham: 1.Alan Mansfield 2.Tom Graves (Graham) 3.Stuart Myall 4.Eddie French 5.Kevin Hemsley 6.Lewis Taylor 7.Jacob Mingle 8.John Westcott 9.Dean Wright (Geard) 10.Kevin Cooper 11.Nigel Brake (Howard) Substitutes: 12.Matt Geard 14.Andy Howard 15.Jamie Baxter 16.Shane Graham 17.Rob Frankland

Chichester City Utd: 1.Anthony Ender 2.Ben Buckland 3.Michael Turvey 4.Ian Saunders (Crawford) 5.Paul Jones 6.Neil Murfin (Smith)7.Russell Hardwell 8.Alex Wand 9.Steve Boston 10.Jason Clements (Lafferty) 11.Scott Murfin Substitutes: 12.James Smith 14.Peter Kinsey 15.Ben Crawford 16.Jake Lafferty 17.Liam Catlin

Goalscorers

Horsham: Cooper (74), Taylor (90 pen, 103) Geard (113), Westcott (114)

Chichester City Utd: Lafferty (84), Boston (87)

Attendance: TBA